On April 4th 1967, young-adult fiction novel “”The Outsiders”” was first released to the world. “”The Outsiders”” would come to be a novel universally taught throughout the United States.
“The Outsiders” is one of the first representations of loss and discrimination that students are taught in schools. We are taught about the differences in the world, death, and what it means to live a meaningful life. “The Outsiders” is a story that portrays love, loss, discrimination, and many other important topics that young Americans face. One important representation throughout the novel is the concept of classism, even a class war. “Greasers,” the poorer citizens on the East Side of Tulsa, Oklahoma, are constantly targeted by the West-side “Socs.”
Years after the publication of the novel by S.E. Hinton, the film version of “The Outsiders” starring familiar faces such as Patrick Swayze, Rob Lowe, and Emilio Estevez, was brought into the world. The film was a national hit and plays in classrooms across the U.S. each year.
Last year, “The Outsiders” was brought to stage on Broadway. The cast has consistently consisted of younger actors, bringing dozens of new faces to Broadway.
This show has become highly regarded for its POC (person of color) representation. In the original novel, no characters were described to be people of color. However, the musical stars over nine POC actors and actresses that make the show unique and memorable.
When I read “The Outsiders” in middle school, I was delighted to realize that there was a piece of media that I could relate to so completely. On October 26th of this year, I took the local train to New York City to watch the Broadway show.
As a so-called connoisseur of the storyline of “The Outsiders”, I was prepared to have my share of critiques regarding the on-stage production. However, while watching the show, I was overwhelmed by the purely beautiful production. The beauty and representation within each lyric of the songs completely caught me by surprise.
By the middle of the second act, both I and the person next to me in the audience were caught up in tears. The musical was extremely emotional, and while there were some moments that were originally represented in the novel that did not make their place onstage, the entire experience of the book was encapsulated in the show. The songs and choreography on stage were beautifully tragic and memorable.
After the show, dozens of audience members waited outside of the venue to meet members of the cast. Many cast members happily signed playbills and bags, took pictures with viewers, and accepted compliments on their performances.
Trevor Wayne, who played “The Outsiders” main character “Ponyboy”, spoke to me for over five minutes after the show. Trevor displayed a significant amount of kindness that was shocking to see, and the interaction was extremely emotional and inspiring.
Every interaction with the cast showcased how amazing the community of the show’s actors is, and I am very glad to have made the decision to support them by seeing this show and sharing my experience.
“The Outsiders” is an extremely inspirational story, and I strongly recommend the book, movie, and musical adaptation to anyone of any demographic.
